


Who only stand and wait

by 4thofFive



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 21:09:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5105831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4thofFive/pseuds/4thofFive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny's never felt so far from home. At least his family is around him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Who only stand and wait

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Steve shoved the main office door open with his shoulder, careful to balance the bags of takeout food he clutched in each hand. It was just after 7 p.m. and none of his team had eaten since early morning. Since Thai food tended to be comfort food for his people during stressful times, he’d ducked out a half hour ago and picked up the large order he’d made.

As the door swung shut behind him Steve looked up to see that Chin and Kono were exactly where he’d left them; sitting in front of the tech table, eyes glued on the screens as live news reports from two different mainland stations played on two different computer screens. 

Steve walked up behind his friends and found his eyes drawn reluctantly to the screens where a massive human tragedy was unfolding thousands of miles away. He couldn’t help but be reminded of the horror that surrounded 9/11 and felt slightly sick at the idea that the New York area was suffering again. But this time New Jersey and more than a dozen other states were in the path of destruction.

Steve cleared his throat causing his two friends to jump slightly and swivel on their stools to look up at him.

“Anything?” Steve asked quietly, shifting his gaze to Danny’s office where the blond detective paced nervously, his cell phone pressed against his ear.

Kono shook her head while Chin answered.

“Nothing yet. The phone lines and cell systems must be either down or overloaded. He hasn’t been able to reach anyone.”

Steve pursed his lips together and nodded then held up the two bags for his teammates to take.

“Thai. Want to set it up in the staff room and we’ll join you in a few minutes?”

The two cousins nodded and took the bags from Steve making their way towards the staff room as he walked over to Danny’s office. Steve pushed open the door and slipped inside quietly. Danny looked up at him then dropped the cell phone away from his ear and pushed the off button distractedly. He placed the phone on the desk carefully although Steve could tell he’d prefer to throw it across the room in his mounting frustration.

“I can’t reach anyone,” Danny murmured miserably rubbing his hands over his pale, drawn face. 

“The phone lines must be jammed with people trying to reach loved ones,” replied Steve, regarding his worried partner with sympathy. “I’m sure they’re ok. They’ll call when they can.”

Danny swallowed thickly and let his hands drop limply to his sides.

“What if they’re not? Dad’s a firefighter, he’ll be out in the thick of it. And Mom is probably out helping all the neighbours. You’ve seen the winds and the water rising. They’re not that far from the ocean. What if something’s happened to them, or my sisters? I don’t know where--”

“Danny!” Steve interrupted abruptly walking over to his partner and grabbing the smaller man firmly by the shoulders giving him a gentle shake.

“There’s no point in talking about ‘what ifs.’ You’re just going to drive yourself crazy. I know its hell for you being so far away while this is happening, but you’ve got to try to have hope and think positive.”

The detective pulled his lips between his teeth and nodded.

“Yeah…I know I just…I feel so useless,” Danny replied, his voice strained with pent up emotion.

Steve rubbed his hands up and down Danny’s biceps as if trying to warm his friend.

“I know. I do too. But your dad is a firefighter, he knows how to handle disasters, and I’m sure he’s taken steps to ensure his family is prepared for anything. And if what you’ve told me about your mother is true, she’ll protect her family like a lion. My money is on them coming through this thing without a scratch.”

A small smile quirked at the corners of Danny’s mouth and he nodded at the truth of his partner’s words.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. They’re both pretty tough – so are my sisters. I just wish I knew for sure.”

Steve stepped beside Danny and slipped an arm heavily over his best friend’s shoulders giving them a squeeze.

“You will soon. I know it. But for now come and have something to eat. I got Thai food.”

Danny shrugged slight.

“I’m not very hungry, babe.”

Giving his partner’s shoulders another squeeze, Steve gently began propelling his best friend out of his office.

“Just a few bites, ok? You haven’t eaten since morning. I’ll get Chin to route your phone and cell into the staff room so if any calls come through you can answer them there.”

Danny sighed but allowed himself to be led into the bullpen and towards the staff room. He knew his friends were worried about him and his family, and he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to sit with them for a while and get his mind off Hurricane Sandy and the devastation the storm was wreaking on his home.

*********

Danny poked listlessly at his Kuai tiao phat khi mao with his chop sticks. Usually he’d be gobbling the spicy noodle dish, but today he found the smell and look of his food unappetizing. It was difficult to sit here in paradise eating with his friends and enjoying the gentle breeze coming through the window when his parents and sisters were 5,000 miles away in the middle of a devastating storm – maybe fighting for their lives.

“Danny,” Kono’s voice broke through his reverie and the detective looked up sharply. 

“Yeah, sorry Kono, did you ask me something?”

“I was just wondering if your food is ok. You haven’t touched it.”

The detective gave the young officer a small smile.

“Oh yeah, its fine, I’m just not very hungry.”

“You should try to eat something, Danny,” admonished Chin gently. “There’s some soup in the cupboard if you’d rather have that.”

The blond man shook his head and dug a heap of noodles out of the takeout box and shoveled them into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before looking up at his friends expectantly.

“Better?”

All three of his teammates smiled at him.

“A few more mouthfuls and we’ll stop worrying,” said Steve as he watched over his partner from the other side of the table.

Danny rolled his eyes and dug into the box again.

“You’re all a bunch of mother hens.”

**********

Danny stared numbly at the pictures of the destroyed roller coaster that once had pride of place on the Jersey Shore. His friends stood around him, Steve so close that their arms were touching, but the blond man seemed unaware of their presence.

“Dad used to take us there as kids,” Danny mused quietly as the scenes of destruction played across the screens. “Mom never liked to go. The roller coaster made her sick.”

The detective swallowed thickly and blinked rapidly a few times.

“Now it’s gone.”

“They’ll rebuild it,” offered Kono from where she was standing on the other side of Danny. “They’ll come back from this, you’ll see. If you’re any indication of the kind of people they have in Jersey I’m betting they’ll come back better and stronger than ever.”

Danny couldn’t help the smile that flitted across his face as he looked over at the younger woman. He bumped shoulders with her in mute thanks for her words.

**********

Danny sighed in frustration as he dropped the cell phone away from his ear for probably the 50th time.

“Why don’t you see if you can call your old precinct or your Dad’s fire hall?” asked Chin as he and Kono sat sprawled out on the sofa in Danny’s office. “Maybe they have phone service.”

Danny huffed out an ironic laugh and shook his head. Steve looked up at him in confusion from where he was perched on a chair on the other side of his partner’s desk.

“I can’t do that,” Danny explained regretfully. “If my father ever found out I’d asked for emergency services to be dispatched to check on my own family when millions of others are in danger he’d never forgive me.”

Steve nodded in understanding. The more he learned about Danny’s dad the more he realized he’d like the older man as much as he liked his son.

“Yeah,” the SEAL replied softly. “My father would have felt the same way. No, I’m afraid all we can do is wait.”

Danny stood up and stretched then looked down at each of his three friends fondly.

“Why don’t you guys go home? It’s late and there’s no reason for all of us to go without sleep.”

Kono and Chin began shaking their heads dismissively but Steve stood up as well and nodded in agreement.

“Danny’s right. You should go home. The minute we hear anything we’ll call you.”

The blond man knit his eyebrows together and stared up at his partner in mild exasperation.

“I meant you too, Super SEAL.”

The Commander shook his head firmly and Danny saw he was wearing his ‘I’m-always-right-and-you’re-always-wrong-so-don’t-argue-with-me’ face.

“No, I’m your partner. I’m staying,” he turned his attention back to the cousins. “But you two need to go. At least two of us have to be reasonably awake and ready for work tomorrow…” he looked down at his watch, “I mean later today.”

Kono opened her mouth as if to argue, but Chin put a hand on her forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“He’s right, cuz. As soon as Danny hears from his family that they are all right these two guys are going to crash for about eight hours. We’ll need to hold the fort.”

Kono looked at the three men anxiously. When one of the team was in trouble they should all be there, but she supposed Steve and Chin’s logic made sense. She nodded once.

“OK, but you’ll call us the minute you know anything?” she asked as she got up from the couch and gave Danny a hug.

“I promise,” the detective replied a bit hoarsely, grateful that he had such caring friends.

**********

Danny stopped pacing his office long enough to look out his window. The sun was just starting to send streaks of colour over the horizon and he released a small, frustrated sigh. It was Tuesday afternoon in New Jersey and the worst of the storm had passed. Surely his parents could find some way to contact him? Unless…he shook his head firmly. No, he wasn’t going there. He refused to think the worst. 

Danny turned away from the window to watch his partner dozing lightly on the couch, head back and mouth open. He couldn’t help but smile at the taller man. Super SEAL might be an insane control freak with daddy issues and a massive ego, but he was also a loyal and caring friend and Danny whispered a small word of thanks that Steve was in his life.

Danny almost jumped out of his skin when his cell phone began to ring and he all but threw himself at his desk in order to snatch it up. Steve jerked awake and was on his feet and by Danny’s side in a moment.

“Hello?” Danny’s voice was rough and scratchy with lack of use.

Steve chewed his bottom lip worriedly as Danny stood trembling slightly beside him. But the SEAL blew out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when he saw Danny visibly deflate and tightly close his eyes.

“Mom?” Danny leaned on his desk with his left hand as he felt the tension and fear of the last hours drain out of him. He felt weak and a bit giddy with relief.

“Mom, thank god. Are you ok? Dad? The girls?”

Danny was oblivious as Steve shifted the desk chair behind his legs and gently pushed his friend into it. The detective listened intently as his mother spoke, and the relieved smile that spread across his face was enough of a signal for Steve to know that everyone was ok back in Jersey.

Steve walked out of Danny’s office to give his friend some privacy. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called both Chin and Kono to give them the good news. By the time he was finished, Danny was off the phone and had entered the bull pen. His partner looked so small, exhausted and emotionally battered that Steve could think of nothing better to do than open his arms and let Danny walk into them.

The detective pressed the side of his face against his partner’s chest as Steve tightly enveloped him in a hug. Danny made no effort to stop the few tears of relief that were rolling down his cheeks.

“They’re ok,” his rough voice sounded muffled against Steve’s shirt. “They’re all ok. Newark didn’t suffer as much as some of the other places and aside from a bit of water in the basement, they came through it relatively unscathed.”

“Your sisters?” Steve inquired gently.

“They stayed with Mom in Newark. They’re ok. They’re all ok.”

Danny’s voice broke on the last word and he wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist and fisted the taller man’s shirt as if it was the only thing keeping him standing up. Feeling his friend shivering against him, Steve supposed there was very little left keeping his best friend from collapsing. 

“C’mon, Danno, I’m taking you back to my place so you can sleep. When you wake up Chin, Kono and I are going to take you out for the biggest celebratory meal you’ve ever had.”

Danny gave a small laugh and nodded as he straightened up and took a step away from Steve wiping his wet face in the process. 

“Sounds good, babe, but you’re not going to forget your wallet again are you?”

Steve grinned down at his friend as he grabbed his partner’s arm and began steering him out of the office.

“Not this time, Danno. This time I got you covered.”


End file.
